What happens at camp stays at camp?

by fezcosinterlude

Summary:

Stuck in the thoughts of wanting friends, but not wanting to get close to anyone at the same time, Kiara's finger stalls on her screen when a familiar picture pops up. Her eyes go to the handle and yeah, @cmpkldr. Her hand then goes to her pocket and she takes out the leaflet. She does usually believe in signs and what is this if not one? She's never been to North Carolina, she never interacted online with anything from there, and still, this profile found her. Fuck it, she thinks, I'm going to Camp Kildare. Kiara finds the apply button and sends out her application.

Kiara decides to apply for a camp counselor position in North Carolina, where she meets JJ and the others. Camp AU

Notes:

Outer Banks is going to camp y'all! I love stories set in camps so much so I wanted to bring our fave characters to one as counselors. I'm not from the US and I have never been to a camp, all my knowledge is from movies, tv shows and books, so I hope it's not too inaccurate. In this AU, Kiara doesn't know the rest of the gang and JJ and Sarah are twins separated at birth and reunited later in life.
let's see what these cuties get up to at camp :)

feedback is always appreciated <3

Chapter 1: one

High school was probably the loneliest time in Kiara's life. And that's saying something since most of Kiara's life has been pretty freaking lonely. It was tough for her to form friendships or really any meaningful relationships with the kids her age. Sure, there were some girls she hung out with in school, ate lunch with, and exchanged study notes, but outside, in her free time? She was mostly spending time on her own, learning a bunch about recycling and sustainability, ethical practices, and human rights protection. Topics her peers were not all that interested in.

And it's not that she didn't want to do anything else, she still enjoyed house parties and pool hangouts. At least, she enjoyed the idea of them, liked them in theory, since she wasn't actually invited to any. Well, except for that one party in sophomore year her former best friend invited her to and never spoke to her again. Kiara didn't know if it was because she spent most of the party enthusiastically talking about starting a turtle rescue center after they graduated or because her friend's crush tried to kiss her. Kiara pushed him away, but the damage was done, she guessed. After that, Kie didn't, in all honestly, try that much to get closer to anybody else. Fine, whatever. She didn't need anybody but herself anyway.

She spent her days studying hard in school, getting lost in essays, saving money by working in her parents' restaurant and doing her own little activism gigs on the weekends, like cleaning the beach. Kie still didn't know if she even wanted to go to college, but being on the path to becoming a Valedictorian was a great way to distract herself from the sad joke her life was.

Her loneliness was hitting her mom the most probably. Anna couldn't get why her daughter didn't have any close friends, why she wasn't a cheerleader or on the Homecoming committee. Kiara's experience was so different than her own, Anna being the Prom Queen and everything. Well, mom, at least I didn't get knocked up moments after graduation, Kiara would think to herself every time her mom started nagging her about it. She would, of course, feel terrible promptly after and try to make it up for even thinking it by attending stuffy events with her and grandma, who was the head of the Board of this or that.

Kiara was immensely grateful for everything her parents did for her, of course, she was, but nothing was filling the vague hole inside her chest. Definitely not the things her parents wanted for her, like college and a serious career that pays the bills. She thinks they are being kinda hypocritical, though, since restaurants get closed all the time and, in her opinion, being a marine biologist or a conservationist is a much more stable career choice. But what does she know? She's still just a teenager. Cue the eye roll.

Imagine Kiara's non surprise when she comes home one day and finds various college brochures on her bed. Her mom really doesn't take no for an answer and doesn't want to let go of the idea of Kie being just another brick in the wall, wasting her time in classes she doesn't care about, when she could be out and earning real and valuable experience in fields that actually excite her. Exasperated, Kiara throws herself on her bed, pressing a pillow on her face and screaming into it. Without sounding like a cliche, why does nobody understand her?

She sits up, her curly hair messy and tangled, falling over her shoulders. There's only one more week of senior year left, filled with senior pranks, school spirit activities, and taking pictures. No important classes are left to attend and there's no more studying. Just the existential dread and general anxiety about the future, no biggie. Kie gets up from the bed and rummages in her closet for her emotional support hoodie, a soft tie-dye one she made freshman year, with Monica, her former best friend, when she still thought high school would be different.

The hoodie is on, the hair is up and the phone is connected to the Bluetooth speaker. As she is picking out what Bob Marley track to play, her eyes wander to the brochures on the bed. Sounds of Three Little Birds fill the bedroom, instantly putting her at ease. Without any real interest, Kie walks over to the unwanted gift her mom left and flicks through the glossy papers, half-heartedly reading about the different clubs and teams, nothing particularly catching her attention.

Right as she is about to toss them in the trashcan beneath her desk, one thin paper flutters to the floor. It must have been included in the stack by accident as it's not advertising any college, but instead a summer camp, out in North Carolina. Kiara has never been there, neither at a camp nor in North Carolina. She gotta say, the leaflet paints a pretty picture, a gorgeous lake, rustic-looking cabins, and children and teens playing sports. Even if she was always an independent, lone wolf type of girl, Kiara can't say she doesn't feel a little envious of the fun and bond these camp goers seem to have.

She is a little old for attending this particular camp, but there is a sticker on the back of the flyer indicating that they are looking for new camp counselors for the upcoming summer season. Listed benefits of applying: two months of working at Camp Kildare with free lodging and food, meeting new people, basking in the sun, swimming in the lake, and participating in fun activities. Kiara lets herself fall backward on the comforter, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on her ceiling. Maybe it was time for her to step out of her comfort zone and work somewhere other than The Wreck. Maybe working at this camp is exactly what she needs to figure out what is she going to do after high school.

…

Next day at work, Kiara is on her break in the back of the Wreck's kitchen, sipping on a smoothie while scrolling through Instagram. Her feed is packed with senior pictures, post-graduation plans, and summer vacation itineraries. The camp flyer is folded down and tucked safely in her back pocket, waiting for the perfect moment to present it to her parents. At least that's what Kie's telling herself she's nervous about, Anna and Mike not being okay with her going. The truth is, they probably won't have any problem with her working there, they care about what happens after summer, not during it. It's her who is still on the fence about applying. On the one hand, what is she going to do if she doesn't bond with anybody? Two months of misery. On the other hand, what if she does bond with someone? And they push her away again?

Stuck in the thoughts of wanting friends, but not wanting to get close to anyone at the same time, Kiara's finger stalls on her screen when a familiar picture pops up. Her eyes go to the handle and yeah, @cmpkldr. Her hand then goes to her pocket and she takes out the leaflet. She does usually believe in signs and what is this if not one? She's never been to North Carolina, she never interacted online with anything from there, and still, this profile found her. Fuck it, she thinks, I'm going to Camp Kildare. Kiara finds the apply button and sends out her application.

…

June passes by in a blur of lunch rush hours at the restaurant and spending all her free time at the beach surfing and swimming. Kiara hasn't heard anything back from the camp since she sent the application and kinda forgot about it. After another vicious fight with her parents about her future, she slams the door to her room and slumps her back on it, sliding down to the floor. Frustrated tears are filling her eyes and slowly rolling down her cheeks. She doesn't do anything to stop them, so tired of resisting showing her feelings about all of this. Why they just can't be supportive of her decisions, even if they don't include college? Why does college have to be the only viable option for her after the summer? Her questions are always the same and their answers are always the same too.

Kiara's phone pings from somewhere on her bed, buried in the mess of pillows and sheets that she didn't bother with tidying up in the morning. She wipes her face with the back of her hand and gets off the floor. After successfully locating her phone, Kiara swipes to open it and sees that the notification sound is a new email. She's been accepted to be one of the new counselors for the summer camp she applied to a month ago. A mixture of dread and anticipation fills her chest when she sees that the first day is a week from now. It's not a lot of time to prepare for something entirely new, but maybe it's for the best. It's been too long since she jumped head-first into something and it was time to get her spark back.

…

Kiara's parents offer to drive her to the airport where she'll catch a flight to Charleston. Since all the camp counselors get uniforms when they arrive, she figured she doesn't have to overpack her two bags too much. She packed some of her favorite crop tops and shirts with a few pairs of shorts. A nice sundress also found its way inside, as a just-in-case piece of clothing. Just in case of what? Kiara doesn't know exactly, but she threw it in anyway. Of course, the bags are stuffed with all of her swimsuits and light cover-ups. There is a lake and she does plan to utilize it as much as the workload allows.

Once they arrive at the airport and she checks in and does all that, Anna pulls her into a hug, her dad squeezing her shoulder tightly.

"I'll be gone just for two months, you guys. It's fine," Kiara says to her parents once they let her go.

"We know, honey, it's just, you've been so distant lately and now we won't see you until fall", says her mom, dabbing under her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup. Kiara tries really hard not to roll her eyes at her mom's comment about her being distant when really it's mostly their fault she is.

"Call us every once in a while, you hear kid?" says her dad when the overhead speakers announce her flight is starting to board. Kiara assures them she will and they pull her in for another quick hug. She waves and walks backward until she turns the corner and loses them from her sight. Taking a big breath, she follows the line of people going to Charleston.

Luckily, her seat is next to the window and the middle seat of the row is empty, an older woman sitting in the aisle seat. Kiara squeezes in next to her and relaxes her shoulders when she looks out the window. This is it, she's going to Camp Kildare. The email didn't say much about her work duties, but she figures she'll learn all about it when she arrives. There was something about a welcome bonfire, though. It takes place on the first night of the season, before all the campers arrive, as a way to meet all the fellow counselors. Kie doesn't know how to feel about that yet so she puts her headphones in and tries not to think about it too much.

The flight passes without a hitch and before she knows it, they land in Charleston. While they were driving to Newport Airport, she looked over the acceptance email, and at the bottom of it, there were directions on what she had to do to get to the camp. She is to take a shuttle that will be waiting in front of the airport to take her and another counselor the rest of the way. Okay, pretty straightforward so far. Kiara collects her bags from the overhead compartment and exits the plane with the rest of the passengers.

The sun is shining hard on her when she gets out of the airport and she has to shield her eyes from the light to look for the shuttle. The collecting lane is busy and cars are coming and going nonstop. Kiara doesn't see any vehicles with the Camp Kildare logo and falters for a second, looking around the area. Finally, at the end of the lane, there is a bright red van with the camp sticker on its side. The driver is smoking a cigarette standing next to it. She walks over to him to introduce herself.

"Um, sorry, is this the shuttle for Camp Kildare?" The driver turns around, his cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth. Not saying anything, he opens the van and half-enters the passenger side, his legs still outside. He stubs out the cigarette in the little ashtray on the dashboard and addresses Kiara.

"Sure is, hon. Name's Mitch," he says, southern drawl apparent, and extends a meaty hand for her to shake. Kie accepts it and flinches a little at his strength. "Let me take those bags from you and we'll be on our merry way." He takes the bags without waiting for her answer and tosses them in the trunk.

"I thought another counselor was riding with me?"

"There should've been, but her flight is delayed, so it's just you, hon. I'll be back for her in a few hours. Hop on in, now."

Kiara jumps in the passenger seat, hoping this is the right van and she won't get kidnapped instead of arriving at her destination.

…

The camp is just outside of Charleston and the ride over is peaceful and uneventful. She sent a quick text to her parents to let them know she's alive and well. Mitch is a good driver and lets her get her bearings, turning up the volume of the radio when he sees her muttering the words in the rearview mirror. She smiles at him and leans her head against the window, looking at the scenery passing them by.

"Here we are, hon, Camp Kildare." Mitch rolls down his window and waves at the worker operating the gate. It opens and the van passes through. The camp is gorgeous, as far as she can see while driving in. The nature is stunning and everything is clean and tidy. She can't see the lake from here, but all around are different paths that she assumes lead there. Kiara can't wait to explore and wander around.

The driver drops her off at the parking in front of a big log house that has to be the common cabin. In front of the cabin is a crowd of teenagers and a man and three women, who she recognizes as the officials, judging by their uniforms. As Kiara waits for Mitch to hand her her bags, she hears an excited laugh coming from somewhere. She spins around and quickly locates the source of it. It's a blonde boy, doubled over in laughter as a Black girl with pretty curly hair gesticulates wildly with her hands. They seem like they're already having fun. The loneliness Kiara pretty much always feels stings a bit harder now. Well, that's why she came here, isn't it? To get out of her comfort zone and meet new people, something she desperately needs.

There's something about that boy that is drawing Kiara's attention to him. Her thoughts are cut off when one of the women blows her whistle and the laughter and talking stops. Everyone turns to the man with a big sheriff's hat.

"My name is Victor Shoupe, I'm the director of this camp and your supervisor. The ladies next to me are the nurse, Miss Lana, and our activities coordinators, Miss Peterkin and Miss Walker. Miss Peterkin will announce this year's cabin pairings and assign each of you to an activity that you'll be in charge of." The director, Shoupe, checks his clipboard and clears his throat.

"There are sixteen cabins in total and each counselor is in charge of one cabin. For the activities, two counselors will be paired and responsible for leading them and keeping track of the schedule and tasks. All the cabins and activities will also be posted on the bulletin board in the common cabin. In a second, I'll leave you in Peterkin's hands, but before that, everyone's favorite part: the camp rules." Shoupe claps his hands and groans erupt from various people in the crowd, namely the blonde boy who she can't seem to look away from.

The director raises his hands and continues, "I know, I know, we do this every year and we'll continue to do so. There are three rules of this camp and I expect you to follow them." He sweeps his eyes over all of them, looking as if he is mind-controlling them into submission. It doesn't seem to work as a big part of them are smiling in amusement. Kie figures some of them have been working here for some time, so they know the deal.

"First rule, there will be no cellphones used during the day. You get access to them after lights out and you hand them over in the morning before the wake-up call. The second rule, no alcohol and illegal substances. I'm looking at you, Maybank", says Shoupe and points to the blond boy who smirks and light-heartedly shoves the dark-skinned boy next to him.

"Third rule, no fraternization among counselors. While here, you are professionals first, teenagers second." Kiara doesn't miss how the boy with wavy hair and a bandana around his neck and the blonde girl next to him roll their eyes. They stand really close to each other and their fingers interlock every once in a while. She wonders if Shoupe knows about it. He must, they are not being very secretive. So what's the point of the rule then?

While she's in her mind about the implications of being a couple at a camp that doesn't allow fraternization, Shoupe leaves and the activity coordinator is now the one holding the clipboard. She starts calling out names alphabetically and assigning them to the cabins. When she gets to Kiara's last name, she yells out Turtle! and continues on with the list. Kie has no idea where the cabin is, but she guesses that's why the bulletin board is there.

When all the cabins are assigned, it's time to assign the activities. There's chatter among the counselors that abruptly stops when Miss Peterkin fixes them with a cold, stern look. No messing with her apparently. "Counselors, activities are assigned in accordance with your applications where you stated what you are good at or what you would like to do. Smith and Thornton, you are in charge of kayaking. Heyward and Routledge, woodworking. Anderson and Cameron, gardening." Miss Peterkin doesn't waste time with unnecessary talk and goes straight to the point. Kiara appreciates that. The list goes on and on, without Kiara's name being called out. It would be just her luck if they somehow forgot her.

Finally, Peterkin calls out, "Carrera and Maybank, swimming." Kiara's heart skips a beat when she realizes it's the blond boy who Shoupe called out in the beginning. The one who kinda took her breath away when she first saw him laughing and looking so comfortable in his skin. He swivels his head around to see who's he coupled with and when his eyes land on her she waves awkwardly. The blonde smiles at her, his dimple showing. Kiara feels her face getting hotter when he winks at her and turns back around.

"One last thing and you're free to go to your assigned cabins. Come collect cabin keys and maps so you know where to go." Peterkin hands the objects to each counselor then blows into the whistle that is hanging around her neck and dismisses them. They have until the evening to get situated and get familiar with their surroundings, after which they are to gather around the bonfire for one last night before the kids start arriving.

"Yo, Carrera!" Somebody yells behind her and Kiara turns around just in time to see that Maybank guy running toward her, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. His golden hair is chaotic and all around his face. It's on the longer side and curls around his ears. It may be the hottest look on a guy she's seen yet.

Maybank catches up with her and extends a hand in greeting. "It's JJ, by the way."

She accepts his hand and swallows when his calloused hand connects with hers. "I'm Kiara. Or Kie. Either way is fine."

JJ smiles again and he has such a nice smile, damnit. Sure, Kiara had a former fling with a guy or two. Or a girl or two. But the butterflies she feels when he shoots that smile in her direction don't compare to anything she felt before. And it's silly, right? She doesn't even know the guy. So why does she feel this way then?

"You're Turtle, right?" Kiara nods and he continues. "I'm Dolphin. Those cabins are next to each other. I can show you the way. And you know, since we're partners and all, we should get to know each other." He motions with his hand for her to follow him. Kiara obeys because what can she do, she doesn't know her way around yet. And so what if she likes what she sees in front of her?

His friends must have already gone to their cabins because they're nowhere to be found. JJ looks over his shoulder to see if she's behind him and slows down his pace. "Need some help with those?" He points at her bags.

"No, it's fine. Thanks, though." She is an independent and strong woman, she doesn't need him to carry her bags. Even if they are a bit heavy and drag her shoulders down awkwardly. She'll manage to the cabin.

JJ shrugs his shoulders and fixes the strap of his duffle. The cabins are scattered all around the camp and each has a pretty spacious porch circling it. When they get in front of the Turtle one, she can see that it has a drawing of the animal on the door. It's a small detail, but it's perfect. Kiara instantly feels at ease, warmth spreading around her body. Coming here was a good idea, she just knew it.

"'Kay, this is you", JJ says and opens the door, presenting her new home for the next two months. The cabin has three rooms in total, one with two bunk beds for the campers, one room with a bed and desk for her with a connecting small bathroom, and a bigger bathroom for the kids. It is spacious but plain, which makes sense, they will spend most of their time outdoors anyway.

"This is really nice," Kiara says in awe. She doesn't know what she expected, but she is impressed with how everything looks.

"I know, right? Shoupe renovated last year. We used to have these really small cabins with one room for everybody." She already gathered this wasn't his first year working here, but now he confirmed it. JJ stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking at her with a kind of wonder in his eyes like he is trying to figure her out. Kiara tries to think of what to say next, but before she does, he is already opening his mouth again.

"I'll leave you to it. See you at the bonfire later?" He fidgets with something in his pocket and when he takes his hand out, she can see it's a lighter.

"Isn't it mandatory?" she jokes. She doesn't want to come across as she doesn't want to be there when she really wants to be next to him some more.

He rolls his eyes good-naturedly at her. "It's gonna be fun, you'll see." JJ winks at her again and shoots finger guns in her direction. "See ya later, Kie."

God, did her name sound good coming from his mouth. She watches him cross the small distance from her cabin to his. JJ has a restless energy around him as if he can't stay still for too long. She can't wait to see him later at the bonfire, and the thought scares her. With another deep breath, she lugs her bags into the cabin and starts to unpack.

Chapter 2: two

Notes:

thank you @Useless_as_ever for giving me motivation to write the second chapter <3

After an entirely too much time spent in front of the tiny mirror in her cabin, trying to see herself from all possible angles, Kiara decides to put on the one sundress she packed for camp. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, tonight's event is exactly why she packed it in the first place. No, she didn't usually dress for the male gaze, and she didn't usually care what they thought about her clothes, but there was something about that blondie, JJ, that made her want to dress up a little bit. Something was telling her, though, that JJ would like her cut-off shorts and cropped tops as much as he would the dress.

With one last look in the mirror, Kiara puts her hair up in a bun on top of her head as it is too hot, humid, and sticky to have it down, stuck to her shoulders. She snaps a selfie and sends it to her parents, feeling weirdly free and untethered for maybe the first time in her life. Then she shuts her phone off and leaves it in the drawer of her bedside table, wanting to be completely off the grid. Not that she would even get any messages, the last time she spoke with the girls from her school was a month ago. The staff will take their phones in the morning anyway.

Feeling positively excited for the bonfire, Kiara exits her cabin and starts the walk to the main community area in front of the big main cabin. Getting closer, she can see that the fire is already burning, and some of the counselors are standing around, talking to one another. She can't see JJ, but then she spots the boy with the bandana around his neck. He's fidgeting with something in his hands, but Kiara is too far away to know what it is.

Being at camp is her time to step out of her comfort zone and she's never been particularly shy, it's just that nobody stuck around long enough to really get to know her and all her quirks. It made her think she was too much and too loud and too forward. Well, that was not a bad thing and she would not dim her light anymore.

With renewed vigor, Kie approaches the boy, extending her hand in greeting. "Hi!" He picks up his gaze from his hands and moves it to her face, a baby deer look in his eyes. He also has hair in his face, much like JJ, but unlike the blond boy, this one is a curly brunette. He recovers quickly and accepts her hand, shaking it. Kiara now sees that he has a compass in his grasp.

"Hey there! I'm John B." His hand is firm, and he has a kind and gentle look in his eyes. John B's outfit of choice is jean shorts, a wild Hawaiian shirt, and white Converse. Kiara appreciates a good Hawaiian shirt, not a stranger to colorful shirts herself.

"I'm Kie, I met your friend JJ earlier. He walked me to my cabin. I like your shirt by the way, very feel good vibes." She smiles at him and watches his grin expand.

"Thank you, Kie! You may be the only one who thinks so, my girlfriend Sarah always gives me shit about them. And then she steals them from my closet." He rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, look, that's her over there." John B points behind her, and Kiara turns to follow his line of vision.

There's the pretty blonde girl from earlier, Kie already figured she was the girlfriend. Sarah's walking next to JJ, who is animatedly talking about something, his hands flailing wildly, his hair somehow a bigger mess than it was before.

When he and Sarah reach Kie and John B, the boys do some elaborate handshake and Sarah sighs next to them. She then directs her attention to Kie and pulls her in for a big hug. "I'm Sarah! I'm so glad to meet you! I'm a hugger, I hope you don't mind!"

Kiara isn't big on physical touch, but something about this girl immediately disarms her, and she feels her arms going around Sarah's back, squeezing her lightly. "I'm Kiara. Well, I go by Kie most often. So, you all know each other?"

JJ jumps in before Sarah can answer Kie's question. "Sure do, Kie Kie. This crazy over here is my twin sis, and John B's my brother from another mother. Our friends Cleo and Pope should be around here somewhere, too." His light southern drawl does something to Kie's insides she really doesn't want to think about too much. And Kie Kie? Nobody ever called her that, and she wouldn't like it if they did. But, JJ calling her that? How starved of affection is she if that could make her week in the knees?

"No way, twins! Do you have some crazy twin abilities, like reading each other's minds?" Now that he told her, she can see the resemblance. Obviously, they are both blonde, but there is also something in the way their upper lips curl, not that she was paying attention to that part of the body, nope. They also have that energy and banter that can come only from siblings.

"Okay, here we go," John B says, his tone defeated.

JJ throws his arm over Sarah's shoulder and ruffles her hair, making her bat him away and try to pull the ends of his hair in turn. None of it fazes him, and his lazy grin stays intact through all of the commotion. "Oh, yeah! We have mad twin telepathy, which John B thinks doesn't exist," JJ says while doing some voodoo motion with his fingers.

With a dramatic sigh, Sarah says, "as much as I want to deny it, he's right about that. Sometimes, I know even more than I want to."

"And it's not that I think it doesn't exist, I just think y'all are overexaggerating it," John B says, at which Sarah punches him lightly in his side. "Oof, babe!"

From the corner of her eye, Kie can see that JJ is standing closer to her now, his body radiating heat in her direction. He captures her attention when Sarah starts fixing John B's bandana, the love apparent on her face. Kiara thinks it would be nice to have something like what they have.

JJ bumps her with his elbow, and she turns so she faces him. "Ya know, we were separated at birth. We didn't even know about each other until like 5 years ago. It's a long story, though."

He says it all so casually, like it wasn't the wildest thing she had heard in probably all her life. "Were you really? You do know it's a sin to lie, right?" Kie says, placing her hands on her hips, trying to figure him out.

"Nah Kie, I would never lie to you, it's all true. Cross my heart and hope to die." JJ places his hand over his heart and salutes her with the other. She's known him for all of two hours or so, but there's something about him that she deems trustworthy.

While they were talking, all of the other counselors gathered around the bonfire as well, and everyone was talking and generally having fun. The fire was in full force, and somebody even brought out s'mores and big coolers full of drinks, non-alcoholic ones.

"I guess I believe you, until proven otherwise, JJ," Kiara smirks at him. She doesn't want to pry, and if he wants to tell her the story sometime, she's pretty sure he will. "So, what do you usually do at this bonfire thing?"

"I'm so glad you asked. Let Papa J tell you all about this little shindig. Shoupe and the rest of the staff say something more about the camp and its legacy, and bla bla. We eat some s'mores, tell some scary stories." JJ raises one finger menacingly and smirks, looking at her with a sparkle in his eye. His eyes are almost hypnotizing, and she can't help but lean towards him more, leaving some space between them for him to close, if he wants.

"Then," says JJ, and follows her lead, moving even closer to her, almost touching his forehead to hers, as if he's about to tell her some big secret. "Then, the adults leave us alone and we have a real party, with alcohol, over by the lake." He points somewhere past the trees.

Kiara hasn't been to any graduation parties, and she finds herself buzzy with anticipation. She wants to see what they are all like when there are no authorities and when they can do what they want for one last time before the counseling starts.

Feeling bold and free, Kiara places a sweaty palm on his shoulder, enjoying the way he is firm under her touch. "First, Papa J? Really, dude?" She rolls her eyes at him. "Second, that actually sounds pretty cool! I, well, I haven't been to a party in some time." She knows there's nothing to be embarrassed about, lots of people don't go to parties, but she doesn't want to come across as some hermit that doesn't have any friends. Even if that may be the truth.

Kie drops her gaze to the floor, feeling the way JJ's eyes follow her movements. He takes a step back, and she lets her hand fall from his shoulder, already feeling his absence.

JJ clears his throat, and she looks up at him again. There's a split second of something on his face that she can't really decipher. It looked something like fear. "Let's grab some seats by the fire, huh?"

Before she can say anything else, JJ turns and heads toward the bonfire, where she can see John B and Sarah already. They are sitting next to whom she assumes are Cleo and Pope.

With a quiet sigh, Kiara makes her way over there too, replaying her and JJ's interaction over in her head. She doesn't get what made him basically run away from her. She lightly shakes her head, trying to clear her mind and remind herself she was here to expand her horizons and gain new experiences, not find a boyfriend.

Sarah spots her walking over and waves at her, beckoning her to sit next to her on the log. She taps John B on the shoulder, and he obediently gets up and sits next to JJ on the other side. This means that JJ is as far away from Kiara as he can be. Her heart doesn't deflate a little at that fact, nope.

"Kie! This is Cleo and that's Pope," Sarah says and points to the girl and boy sitting next to them. Kie shakes hands with both of them and asks them how they know Sarah, JJ, and John B.

"I've known JJ and John B for literally forever. We've been in the same grade since elementary school," Pope tells her. "Then Sarah joined the gang a few years ago, and Cleo moved here from Jamaica with her dad last year." Pope has the chillest energy out of the bunch, as far as Kie can tell, which probably nicely balances out everybody.

"Wow, you must have some crazy stories over the years, huh?. My parents own a restaurant,t so I've spent most summers there. This year, I wanted to try something different, you know?"

"I hear ya. It's tough being new somewhere," Cleo says. "Stick with us and you'll be fine. And I'll show you how to kick Rude Boy's ass." She tilts her head in JJ's direction and winks at Kie.

"Hey!" JJ half-shouts and leans over to flick at her forehead. Kiara laughs with them, but her laughter falls silent when he looks at her. She can feel heat traveling to her cheeks, so she turns her head away, seemingly looking around the fire.

---

The bonfire part of the night passes by in a blur of ghost stories told by the other counselors and typical breaking the ice questions that all of them had to answer. Aside from JJ and his crew, there are a couple of other returning counselors, but the rest are new as well. That gave Kiara some comfort, knowing she isn't the only newbie in a sea of best friends.

Shoupe and Peterkin left them a few minutes ago, and the restlessness is already palpable. Everybody is ready to let loose for the night. As far as Kiara can see, nobody is scrolling on their phone. It is a refreshing change, it makes her feel as if she traveled back in time and is at the camp in the 80s or something. The decor of the place is also giving 80s now that she thinks about it, albeit more intentionally rustic rather than worn down.

Sarah gets up from the log and hooks her elbow around Kie's, dragging her with her. "Let's go! We're going to the lake."

She gives Kie no time to oppose her, and Kie can't do anything but follow her. Behind her, the boys and Cleo get up too and start walking. The path that leads to the lake is clean and definitely used, the trail flat and void of any grass. Excited voices are all around them, and they are not even trying to be quiet. The way JJ presented the party to her, it felt like a secret, but there's no way Shoupe doesn't know what's going on. He probably allows it because it's only one night.

The camp must be set on a huge plot of land because the path is taking them deeper than she first thought. Just as Kie's about to ask Sarah about it, JJ pushes next to them and pumps his fist in the air a few times. She didn't get another chance to talk to him and she is trying really hard to not feel bummed about. It's only partly working.

"Yeah, dude! The keg's here! Boys, it's my time to shine, let's go!"

John B, JJ, and Pope run off toward the keg, where some other boys are already gathering around. Kiara's seen many videos and pictures of people doing keg stands at parties, but she never tried it herself.

"Soo typical of JJ," Sarah says, rolling her eyes. "We can't go to one party without him doing a fucking keg stand."

"Gotta let him get it out of his system," Cleo says and shrugs. "No use in trying to stop him."

"Whatever. Let's do some shots, girls!" Sarah brushes her hair from her shoulders and grins at Kiara and Cleo, a similar mischievous glint in her eye. Yeah, definitely twins.

"Oh, I don't know," Kie starts, but Sarah interrupts her.

"No, no, no! I'm not having any of it. We need to start the season off right. There's something special in doing your first shift, viciously hungover. Trust me, I know." She shudders, but stays smiling.

"Girly, just say yes, or she won't stop nagging you. Trust me, I know," Cleo deadpans and narrows her eyes at Sarah, who's clapping her hands excitedly.

Kiara sighs and squares her shoulders. "Okay, fine. Lead the way." She motions with her arm in front of her. No need to tell Sarah twice, as she's already making her way to the cooler.

Kiara can see that she's taking out a tequila bottle and pouring shots into three little red cups. Another thing she doesn't want to think about is the amount of plastic parties like these can have. Hopefully, they will at least recycle them.

Sarah skips back to them and presents them with the shots. "Drink up, ladies, cheers!"

They cheer each other and throw back the tequila. Kiara doesn't know when the last time she drank tequila, and the drink burns all the way down to her stomach, where it settles in a nice little puddle of fire.

"God, this is diabolical!" Kie shouts above the music. It's even louder now, and the beat is thumping in her chest. Before she knows what's happening, Sarah's pouring another one and shoving it in her hands. Shrugging her shoulders, Kie takes it and sees Cleo throwing it back again without hesitation. Kiara does the same.

Soon enough, her hips get a mind of their own and start to sway in time with the music, the rhythm waking her up and pushing her to forget all about what she was and what her parents needed her to be. This moment is all that matters, there's nothing else but her and the music.

Sarah and Cleo dance next to her, and she's laughing with them, throwing her hands up in the air. Kie hasn't had this much fun since she doesn't even know when. The last couple of years were filled with school and extracurriculars and extra credits, and work. This is exactly what she needed. She closes her eyes and focuses on the beat, all other sounds blending in the background.

When she opens her eyes next, Cleo is gone, but Sarah is still next to her, smiling at Kie fondly. Then Sarah's eyes trail somewhere above Kiara's shoulder, and she turns, following her line of vision.

Some distance away is JJ, staring at her, another look in his eyes that she can't quite figure out. Butterflies flutter all around her stomach, and his gaze is too heated, she has to turn back around.

When she does, she sees Sarah sporting a knowing expression on her face. Kiara opens her mouth and closes it again. She doesn't know what to say. If there is anything to say at all. She doesn't know what any of it means.

"Come with me," Sarah says and extends a hand to her. Kiara accepts it and interlocks their fingers. Sarah leads them away from the commotion to a serene-looking dock further down the lake's coast. They can still hear the music, but it's much quieter, muffled somewhere behind them.

Sarah sits on the edge of the dock, her bare feet skimming the water's surface. She looks over her shoulder and taps the wood next to her. Kie takes off her sneakers and socks and joins Sarah. Sarah's nail polish is white and glowing in the dark, Kie's nail polish is navy blue and glossy.

"He can be hard to get close to, you know?" Sarah tells her.

"He?" Kie tries to play the "I don't know who you're talking about" card, but Sarah tilts her head in her direction and squints her eyes.

"Don't even try! I know you know I'm talking about JJ." Sarah sighs softly. "He had a really tough time before we found out about each other." Her legs are swinging beneath her, her toes catching the water every few swings.

"Our biological parents died in a boating accident when we were babies, and they separated us. I went to the Cameron family, and JJ went to Luke Maybank." She scowls at the last name, making Kiara think he's the reason JJ's hard to get close to.

"My childhood was pretty good and normal, until my dad killed himself. He was doing some really shady shit in his company and I guess he couldn't handle the consequences." Sarah shrugs her shoulders, looking over the lake. "Then my brother started dealing drugs, and gosh, all of it turned into a real mess. Childhood trauma all around, yay!" she whoops mockingly.

Kiara's problems with her parents are nothing compared to what they had to go through, she's sure. Yes, she feels suffocated sometimes, and it seems she's only worthy if she does what they want from her, but at least they are present and loving, right?

She realizes she's been silent for too long, lost in her thoughts, when Sarah speaks up. "God, I'm sorry. I totally destroyed the vibe, right? And it's your first night here!" Sarah starts getting up from her seating position, but Kiara stops her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for telling me that. I'm sure it's hard for you to talk about it." She hopes Sarah can hear the genuine sincerity in her voice.

Sarah smiles at her, relief apparent on her face. "That's the tip of the iceberg, really. But I don't want to dampen the mood even more tonight. We'll have plenty of time to pour out our souls this summer." Sarah squeezes her Kie's fingers that are still resting on her shoulder.

While Kiara puts on her socks and sneakers, Sarah's phone rings. When she answers it, she gathers that it's John B on the other side.

"We'll be right there! Don't start without us, okay?" She sends some kisses over the phone and ends the call.

"That was John B. Come on!" Sarah stuffs the phone in her back pocket and waits for Kie to catch up. When she does, she turns her head to look at Kie.

"Kie?"

"Yeah?"

"Let him come to you. I know he will. Twin telepathy, remember?" Sarah taps her temple.

Kiara rolls her eyes at her, but nods either way. Something about him coming to her wakes up the butterflies in her stomach again.

Chapter 3: three

Notes:

i hope you like the vibe of the chapters so far :)
i appreciate any feedback and comments you may have!

After working at the camp for the past three summers, JJ thinks of himself as a kind of an expert in this whole counseling thing. Back in his first summer here, he realized he was actually pretty good with the kids that would come to the camp, both boys and girls. Some would say it was because he was childish, but whatever, JJ doesn't see it as a bad thing as long as the kids feel comfortable and happy being here. It's refreshing to be seen just as fun and adventurous rather than reckless and impulsive.

This time around, JJ's campers are four cousins around 12 years old whose parents sent them here to bond over the summer. If JJ knows something, it's fucked up family relationships. He knows blood is not always thicker than water and that sometimes your found family is much better than your real one. On the other hand, sometimes your blood pleasantly surprises you, like Sarah did to him. JJ from six years ago would never in a million years think he would hang out with some Kook princess just because she's cool and fun to be around. And when she turned out to be his long-lost sister, twin even? His mind was fucking blown!

That's why it's these boys' lucky summer that they are paired with JJ. When they go home at the end of the season, they'll be inseparable. JJ sets them on their merry way to the main cabin for campers' breakfast after showing them around the space they'll occupy for the summer. Their swimming lessons are not until 4 in the afternoon, so he has some free time to walk around and try to clear his head, a joint ready in his pocket. Technically, it's not allowed, but what Shoupe doesn't know won't hurt him. JJ has a secret spot anyway that nobody has discovered yet, and he's pretty confident nobody won't.

As he leaves the cabin, he can't help but glance in the direction of Kiara's. Look, JJ is not a stranger to pretty girls, not one to back down from flirty situations, he's not shy and definitely not inexperienced. Still, there's something about Kiara that makes his skin all tingly and weird, and not weird in a bad way. He hasn't felt like that in a long, long time, maybe never, not that he thinks about it. He's always been a one-night stand type of guy, has some fun in the sheets, doesn't share any personal details, and bolts before the other party wakes up. Something's telling him, though, that Kie is not that type of girl, not the type to be just casual.

The thing is, he wants to get to know her, he doesn't want to draw her in and then just run away before she gets to know him. And that fucking scares him. It petrifies him. No matter how many hours he spends in therapy, no matter how many breath exercises he does or how many Sarah's silly affirmations he says, a part of him still thinks of himself as that worthless boy enduring Luke's beatings. As that weak, scared boy who believes he doesn't deserve happiness and love. Not that this is love or anything like that. This is just an attraction. Attraction that feels like a zing in his chest, but still just attraction. Or lust. Or whatever.

Lost in his thoughts, JJ walks the path behind the cabins, away from the lake and the bonfire, deeper into the mountains. Last year, he discovered a cave-type thing, hidden behind some pines. He just stumbled upon it after an argument he had with John B, a particularly gnarly one. It's rare these days that they fight, but that day, JJ was in a dark place. He was looking for a fight, ready to jump out of his skin. Sarah was trying to help, and he snapped at her badly, and John B jumped in, and it was a real mess.

The cave is the only good thing that happened that day, and JJ's been coming here ever since to light up in peace. His coping mechanisms are getting better and better, but come on now, he can't give up a good blunt, not yet, at least. JJ inhales deeply and sighs the smoke out of his nostrils, enjoying the slight sting of it, feeling the weird, nervous feeling creep out of his body with the action.

 

Kie's never been good with kids. She's awkward and cringy and tries too hard. When her girls arrive at their cabin in the morning, it's abundantly clear that she has no idea what she's doing. The four girls are all strangers to one another, and it's her job to make them feel welcome and included. How is she supposed to do that when she's never felt that way? Kiara is starting to realize she may be in over her head with this one.

Thankfully, what she's always been is persistent and stubborn, unable to back down from a challenge. She will befriend these girls, and they will leave the camp at the end of the summer as a real girl power crew. The girls all seem sweet anyway, if a little scared, seeing it's their first time here too. Kiara thinks she will manage, she always does, even if she has to be a tad dramatic first.

After the girls head out to the communal breakfast, Kiara takes out her phone from the drawer and powers it on. The phone lights up with a singular message, her parents responding to the selfie she sent when she arrived. Not surprisingly, there aren't any other messages, but still hurtful nonetheless. She replies to her parents again, telling them she won't be on her phone much, letting them know not to worry, and she'll check in once in a while when she can.

Since they have some time free before the swimming lessons, Kiara figures she can walk around some more, try to familiarize herself with the area. She did see JJ stepping out earlier in the direction behind the cabins, and she's tempted to follow him, but Sarah told her to wait for him to come to her. Maybe she could just walk around, and if she bumps into him, she bumps into him. It's not like she's going out of her way to look for him. He's still such an enigma for her. She can see that he is friendly and outgoing and funny, but there's something under the surface, something more troubling, darker maybe. Probably something to do with the childhood Sarah alluded to.

Stopping her line of thought, Kiara shakes out her hair and walks out of the cabin too, ultimately deciding not to follow JJ's trail and go the other way, near the arts and crafts cabin. She has the whole summer to get to know everybody, anyway.

 

JJ's almost at the end of his joint when he hears some scuffling outside the cave entrance. Great, if somebody else managed to find this place he's gonna be real pissed. Maybe if he goes further back, whoever's here won't spot him. Just as he got up from his little sitting rock, a pair of canvas sneakers peeked around the bush. Before JJ manages to remember who they could belong to, there comes a familiar face framed with wild, curly hair.

"Oh, shit! Kie!" It leaves his mouth before JJ can stop it, and he sees the way Kiara's face falls. Damn, he sounded like he's really not happy to see her. It's strange, he can't seem to find the words that would soften the blow. Maybe it's the weed, but it's more likely the cool girl standing in front of him. Girls usually don't affect him in this way, usually, he's all teasing comments and flirty comebacks.

She beats him to the punch anyway. "I…where are we?" she starts, but her face scrunches up in the middle of her sentence. Sne sniffs the air a little and raises her eyebrows. "Is that weed, JJ? I don't think this is allowed," she says with her hands on her hips.

Fuck, JJ is in real trouble if she snitches on him to Shoupe. JJ puts on his best face of indifference. "Maybe. What's it to you?" he shrugs. "You gonna tell on me?"

Kiara cocks her head to one side, seemingly deciding on her answer. She smiles widely. "Nah. I would never." She sticks her hand out. "If you share with me."

JJ starts laughing at her boldness and damn, yes, he'll share with her. Kie's eyebrows scrunch again, but she breaks out into a laugh too, accepting the joint he extends to her.

"You have an infectious laugh, did you know?" she says after taking a hit. She's come closer to him now too and JJ can feel the heat radiating from her body. He can also see the redness on her cheeks. JJ kinda likes the way he's making her flustered, and what does that mean?

"Do I, now? Is that a compliment?"

Kie rolls her eyes. "Yes, it's a compliment." She gives him the joint back, and he takes one last hit before stubbing it out on the rock.

"Well, I like your curls."

She blushes even more at his words and immediately grabs one curl self-consiously. "You don't have to say that just because I complimented you. But thanks."

"I wasn't just saying it. I like how wild they are." JJ shrugs again and puts his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. He does like her hair and he thinks it suits her. His finger is itching to wrap one around it, to see how bouncy it is. But that would be weird, so he keeps his hand in his pocket.

"I used to hate it. Every girl at my school had straight, silky hair, and mine was just this uncontrollable mess with a mind of its own. I would straighten it every morning before class. Thank God I figured it out before completely frying my hair off." Kiara plays with the bracelets on her wrist, her eyes down, not looking at him.

JJ is quiet for a few moments, his mind all jumbled. "I bet you'd be real pretty with no hair, too."

Her head snapped back up, and she grinned, shaking her head. He really liked her smile, it made her whole face light up. God, what kind of romantic shit is he thinking about.

"So, you come here to light up?" Kie asks.

"Yeah, found it last year. Nobody knows about it, and that's the way I like it."

Kie mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key. "My lips are sealed, JJ," she says with a serious face.

Even though JJ doesn't have a watch on him, he knows they still have time before swimming because the bell hasn't sounded off yet.

"Wanna check out the haunted part of the lake with me?"

Kie's hand flies to her chest. "The what?"

"You didn't know? There's a part of the lake that is supposed to be haunted. Apparently, somebody drowned here like 30 years ago."

"I don't know if I believe that, but sure. Lead the way, Jayj." Kie's lips form a tight straight line after saying the nickname, like it left her mouth by accident, too. He likes it, nobody has called him that. His name was already a nickname, but this feels like something only between the two of them. This summer is bound to be an interesting one.